Brush having adjustable scrubbing strength

ABSTRACT

A brush or broom provides an operator the ability to adjust the length of the bristles that extends from the broom. The broom handle may be attached to a broom head from which a plurality of bristles extend distally. The broom handle may howls and internal adjustment rod that may be attached to a bristle guide. The bristle guide may include one or more channels through which the bristles extend. The bristles may extend the entire length of the channel and may protrude outward from the bristle guide. The lengths to which the bristles protrude from the bristle guide may be adjusted by sliding the adjustment rod relative to the handle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/269,177 filed on Dec. 18, 2015 the contents of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC AND INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF THE MATERIAL

Not Applicable.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of Endeavor

The present invention relates to systems and methods for providing a brush having bristles that may be adjusted to provide stronger or weaker brushing power. More particularly, the invention relates to a brush, Bloom or other device having a plurality of bristles wherein the distance the bristles extend from the brush may be adjusted to provide stronger or weaker brushing of a surface.

Background Information

Brooms brushes and other utensils for cleaning using bristles are used in a wide variety of industries and for many purposes. Depending on the intended use, a brush or similar device may have different preferential features. Bristles may be hard and stiff or soft and pliable. Materials used to make bristles vary from metal wire to extremely fine and soft hairs or synthetic materials.

Often bristles are grouped into bundles and several distinct bundles extend from a brush. For some brushes, for example a toothbrush, it is common for bundles to be arranged in particular patterns. It is also common for bristles of different strengths to be organized in bundles with bundles of harder bristles around the periphery of the brush with bundles a softer bristles in the center.

With brooms and other devices for sweeping, it is not unusual for bristles and/or bundles of bristles to be arranged in various patterns and having various stiffness or elasticity. In a residential setting, a person may typically have several brushes having bristles of varying strengths for different purposes.

Often times, when cleaning a surface such as an indoor or outdoor floor, dirt, grime and other undesirable materials may be removed more easily by softer or harder bristles depending on the particular material. As a result, a person cleaning a surface must often switch between different cleaning brooms or brushes. Switching between different brushes while cleaning can be time-consuming and frustrating. An operator may also waste time by attempting to use a soft brush for an entire surface when portions of the surface are more easily cleaned using a harder brush.

The amount of scrubbing force a broom or brush has may depend upon a variety of factors including the types of bristles used, how tightly the bristles are bundled and how long the bristles are. Each of these factors may affect the amount of scrubbing force an instrument may apply to a surface. Weaker scrubbing force may be desirable for softer services and/or more delicate cleaning. Conversely, stronger scrubbing forces may be desirable on harder surfaces and when removing more tenacious dirt or grime.

The most common method for providing varying degrees of sweeping strength has been to use a brush having two or more different regions of a brush having different bristles for stronger and lighter sweeping. However, many of these brooms result in both the strong and weaker bristles being used simultaneously.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need to provide a more efficient way for a person to apply stronger and weaker brushing bristles over a given surface using a single device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a brush having a plurality of bristles having an adjustable sweeping force.

In greater detail, a brush or broom that provides an operator the ability to adjust the length of the bristles that extends from the broom. The broom handle may be attached to a broom head from which a plurality of bristles extend distally. The broom handle may howls and internal adjustment rod that may be attached to a bristle guide.

The bristle guide may include one or more channels through which the bristles extend. The bristles may extend the entire length of the channel and may protrude outward from the bristle guide. The lengths to which the bristles protrude from the bristle guide may be adjusted by sliding the adjustment rod relative to the handle.

In one embodiment, the adjustment rod may be threaded and may engage an annular cuff that may be threaded on its inside surface. By rotating the cuff, the adjustment rod may slide longitudinally up or down the length of the broom handle, thereby adjusting the distance between the broom head and the bristle guide.

In another embodiment, an external sleeve may be positioned over the handle. The sleeve may slide longitudinally up and down the length of the handle and may be locked in place by any of a variety of mechanisms known in the art. Arms may extend downward from the sleeve to the bristle guide and may adjust the distance between the bristle guide and the broom head in correlation with the sliding of the sleeve over the handle.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a broom or brush capable of easily adjusting the scrubbing force it imparts to a surface. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a broom in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a broom in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a broom in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a broom in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a broom in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a brush in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a broom in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a broom in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a top view of a bristle guide in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a top view of a bristle guide in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a brush in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a brush in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a brush in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a bottom plan view of an alternative embodiment of a brush in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional top view of an alternative embodiment of a brush in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 16 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a brush in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 17 is a bottom plan view of a bristle guide of the alternative embodiment of a brush shown in FIG. 16 in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 18 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a toothbrush in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 19 is a side cross-sectional view of a dishwashing brush in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 20 is a side cross-sectional view of the dishwashing brush of FIG. 19 in an alternative configuration in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 21 is a side cross-sectional view of another alternative embodiment of a brush having adjustable bristles in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 22 is a side cross-sectional view of another alternative embodiment of a brush in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 23 is a side cross-sectional view of another alternative embodiment of a brush in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 24 is a side cross-sectional view of another alternative embodiment of a brush in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 25 is a side perspective view of another alternative embodiment of a brush in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 26 is a top cross-sectional view of the alternative embodiment of a brush of FIG. 25 and accordance with the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

Disclosed is a brush or broom that provides an operator the ability to adjust the length of the bristles that extends from the broom. The broom handle may be attached to a broom head from which a plurality of bristles extend distally. The broom handle may howls and internal adjustment rod that may be attached to a bristle guide. The bristle guide may include one or more channels through which the bristles extend. The bristles may extend the entire length of the channel and may protrude outward from the bristle guide. The lengths to which the bristles protrude from the bristle guide may be adjusted by sliding the adjustment rod relative to the handle.

In one embodiment, the adjustment rod may be threaded and may engage an annular cuff that may be threaded on its inside surface. By rotating the cuff, the adjustment rod may slide longitudinally up or down the length of the broom handle, thereby adjusting the distance between the broom head and the bristle guide.

In another embodiment, an external sleeve may be positioned over the handle. The sleeve may slide longitudinally up and down the length of the handle and may be locked in place by any of a variety of mechanisms known in the art. Arms may extend downward from the sleeve to the bristle guide and may adjust the distance between the bristle guide and the broom head in correlation with the sliding of the sleeve over the handle.

In another embodiment, a bristle guide may be substantially planar and have a disk or other shape. The bristle guide may be placed over a bristle broom and may be attached to a sleeve about the broom handle. Bristles may travel through individual channels within the planar bristle guide. Optionally the bristle guide may be an annular ring or otherwise surround the bristles. This embodiment may provide for retrofitting pre-existing brooms or brushes in accordance with the principles of the invention.

As used herein, the terms brush and broom are generally used interchangeably. Similarly, bristles are typically shown in the drawings as being organized into bundles. However, bristles may be uniformly dispersed about a broom or brush head and not arranged in two separate bundles.

FIG. 1 shows a broom 10 in accordance with the principles of the invention. The broom 10 includes an elongate handle 12 and a broom head 14 attached to the handle at its bottom end 16. Several bristles 18 extend distally downward from the broom head 14. In this embodiment, the bristles 18 are grouped into a plurality of bundles 20.

A bristle guide 22 may be positioned below the broom head 14 and may include a plurality of channels 24. In this embodiment, the bristle guide 22 includes channels 24 corresponding to each of the bristle bundles 20. Bristles 18 in the same bundle 20 may also extend through the same channel 24. The portion of the bristles 18 extending from the face 28 of the bristle guide 22 to the ends 30 of the bristles comprised the working region 32 of the bristles 18.

An adjustment rod 34 may have a distal end 36 seated in a bearing 38 in the bristle guide 22. The bearing 38 allows the adjustment rod 34 to rotate freely in relation to the bristle guide 22. The adjustment rod 34 may extend upward through an internal bore 40 within the handle 12. The Rod 34 may have a threaded region 42 extending across all of work only a portion of the adjustment rod 34. A rotating cuff 44 may be incorporated into the handle. The rotating cuff 44 may include an outer gripping surface 46 and an internal threaded surface 48. The internal threaded surface 48 may engage the threaded region 42 of the adjustment rod 34.

By rotating the cuff 44, an operator may adjust the distance between the broom head 14 and the bristle guide 22. This may allow an operator to adjust the length of the working region 32 of the bristles 18. By increasing the distance between the broom head 14 and the bristle guide 22, the length of the working region 32 may be decreased, thereby increasing the scrubbing force applied to a surface being cleaned. Conversely, an operator may decrease the distance between the broom head 14 and the bristle guide 22, thereby increasing the length of the working region 32 and decreasing the scrubbing force applied to a surface.

FIGS. 2-4 show a broom 50 in accordance with the principles of the invention having three different configurations. In FIG. 2, the bristle guide 54 is positioned at a little more than the halfway point from the broom head 52 to the ends of the bristles 59. As a result, the working region 60 of the bristles 59 may have a medium length. The restrained region 62 of the bristles 59 may also have a medium length.

In FIG. 3, the bristle guide 54 has been adjusted such that it is relatively close to the broom head 52. As a result, the restrained region 62 is relatively very small and the working region 60 of the bristles 59 may be relatively long. The long length of the working region 60 of the bristles 59 may allow the bristles to flex and bends more, thereby providing a softer scrubbing force. It may be desirable to utilize a broom 50 or a similarly configured brush when a relatively low amount of scrubbing force is desired, for example on softer surfaces.

In FIG. 4, the bristle guide 54 has been adjusted such that it is relatively far from the broom head 52. As a result, the restrained region 62 is relatively long and the working region 60 of the bristles 59 may be relatively short period the short length of the working region 60 of the bristles 59 may reduce the flexibility of the working region 60 of the bristles, thereby providing a stronger scrubbing force. It may be desirable to use a broom 50 or a similarly configured brush when a relatively high amount of scrubbing force is desired, for example on hard surfaces and/or for removing relatively sticky or hard material. When an operator is unsure of how much scrubbing force may be required, he or she may continue adjusting the position of the bristle guide until an optimal amount of scrubbing force is achieved.

FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of an adjustable broom 70 in accordance with the principles of the invention. The broom 70 may include a broom head 72, a brush guide 74 and a handle 76. Several bristles 79 may extend downward and distally from the broom 70 and through the bristle guide 74. The bristles 79 may or may not be arranged into a plurality of bundles. In this embodiment, an adjustment rod 78 may be threaded along its entire length and may extend through the handle 76 and may be attached to the bristle guide 74 by a pivot pin 84 in a rounded seat 86. A hinge 88 may be attached to the broom head 72 and the bristle guide 74 on one side. When the adjustment rod 78 is adjusted such that it slides longitudinally downward through the handle, the bristle guide 74 may rotate about the hinge 88 in the direction of arrow 90. As a result, bristles 79 proximal to the hinge 88 may have longer working regions 82 than bristles 79 distal from the hinge 88. This may impart to the broom 70 bristles providing a spectrum of low to high scrubbing strengths across its width.

FIG. 6 shows another alternative embodiment of a brush 90 in accordance with the principles of the invention. The brush 90 may include a brush head 92 and a bristle guide 94. Bristles 96 may be anchored in the bottom of the brush head 92 and extend downward through channels in the bristle guide 94. In this embodiment, the adjustment guide 94 may be pivotally attached to two adjustment rods 98 by a pivot pin 104. Each adjustment rod 98 may extend through a threaded bore 100 through the brush had 92. The top end of each adjustment rod 98 may include a knob 102 that may be twisted to adjust the distance between the brush had 92 and the bristle guide 94 at the point where the respective adjustment rods 98 attached to the bristle guide 94. Brush 90 may be configured to be held by hand. By providing two separate adjustment rods 98, the brush 90 may allow an operator to more accurately adjust the distances between the bristle guide 94 and the brush head 92 across the width of the brush 90.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of a broom 120 in accordance with the principles of the invention. A broom 120 may have a handle 122 and a plurality of bristles 126 attached at its base 124. A bristle guide 128 may surround the bristles 126. Two arms 132 may attach the bristle guide to a sleeve 130 capable of sliding up and down the longitudinal length of the handle 122. In FIG. 7, the sleeve 130 has been slid upward such that the bristle guide 128 only restrains a small portion of the bristles 126, leaving most of the bristles free to bend, thereby reducing the scrubbing force the bristles 126 apply to a surface.

FIG. 8 shows the alternative embodiment of a broom 120 and accordance with the principles of the invention, where the sleeve 130 has been slid down the handle 122 to a lower position. As a result, the bristle guide 128 restrains a more substantial portion of the bristles 126, thereby increasing the scrubbing force of the bristles 126.

FIG. 9 shows a top view of the bristle guide 128 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The bristle guide 128 may be simply an annular ring such as for example a toroid and may be easily retrofitted to existing brooms or brushes. Optionally, the bristle guide may be oval, rectangular or other desired shape. FIG. 10 shows an alternative embodiment of a bristle guide 140 for use with a broom or brush as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The bristle guide 140 may include a substantially planar body 142 that may be circular or of other shape. The bristle guide 148 may also include a plurality of channels 144. In this embodiments, the channels 144 may be substantially circular but other geometries may be used when desirable.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show an alternative embodiments of a broom 150 in accordance with the principles of the invention. Broom 150 may include a broom head 152 at the lower end of a handle 154. In this embodiment, a plurality of stiff bristles 156 may be grouped into bundles 158 and may extend from the broom head 152 through a bristle guide 160. FIG. 11 shows the alternative embodiment of a broom 150 in a configuration where the bristle guide 160 is positioned further away from the broom head 152, thereby increasing the length of the restrained region 162 of the stiff bristles 156 and minimizing the working region 164 of the stiff bristles 156.

The bristle guide 160 in this embodiment includes soft bristles 166 grouped into bundles 168 and extending distally from the broom 150. In this configuration, only the soft bristles 166 may be applied to a surface being cleaned. This may allow for a softer, gentler cleaning.

FIG. 12 shows the broom 150 configured for more rigorous and more vigorous cleaning of a surface. The adjusting rod 170 has been used to pull the bristle guide 160 closer to the broom head 152. As a result, the stiffer bristles 156 extends substantially the same length from the broom 150 as the soft bristles 166. In this configuration, the stiff bristles 156 impinge upon the surface in conjunction with the softer bristles 166 in bundles 168. The adjusting rod 170 may be used to adjust the distance between the broom head 152 and the bristle guide 160, thereby adjusting the length of the working region 164 of the stiff bristles 156. As a result, an operator may adjust and fine-tune the amount of scrubbing force applied to a surface.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show an alternative embodiment of a brush 180 in accordance with the principles of the invention. Brush 180 may include a relatively planar base having bristles 184 arranged in bundles 186 extending from a floor 190. The floor 190 may be surrounded by a sidewall 187 which extends up to a rim 188. The sidewalls 187, the rim 188 and the floor 190 defined a cavity region 192. In use, the brush 180 may be submerged within a bucket of soapy water and flipped over such that the cavity region 192 forms a shallow well capable of holding soapy water. The brush may then be carried by an operator while inverted to an object to be cleaned. The brush may be then overturned such that the soapy water retained within the cavity region 192 may be dispensed directly onto an object being cleaned. This may improve the efficiency of clean and objects and eliminate or reduce the need for dispensing soapy water onto an object by other means.

FIG. 15 shows a cross-section of an alternative embodiment in accordance with the principles of the invention. A cylindrical brush 200 has an elongate cylindrical body 200 to within internal, rotatable shaft 204 extending concentrically along the longitudinal axis of the brush 200. A plurality of pivoting brush arms 204 rotatable about pivot points 208 and having bristles 206 may be positioned along the inner wall 212 of the body 200. The brush arms 204 may be biased by a spring or other means to rotate counterclockwise and pulled the bristles 206 inside the body 202.

The internal shaft 204 has a plurality of radial arms 210 extending outward from it. The shaft 204 may be rotated into the position shown in FIG. 15 which pushes the brush arms 204 against their bias and such that they are substantially flush with the inner wall 212. As a result, the bristles 206 extend through the wall 212 of the body 202. The shaft 204 may be rotated counterclockwise, or in this embodiment clockwise, in order to disengage the radial arms 210 from the brush arms 204. The bias of the brush arms 204 will then pull the bristles 206 inside the body 202. The shaft 204 may be rotated to adjust the angles of the brush arms 204 relative to the internal wall 212, thereby adjusting the extent to which the bristles 206 extend outward from the body 202.

Be brush shown in FIG. 15 may be useful for cleaning pipes, drinking glasses and other objects having an internal cylindrical surface requiring cleaning. The brush 200 may optionally include a plurality of external bristles 214. The bristles 206 may be stronger than the bristles 214 such that by adjusting the extent to which the bristles 206 extend from the body 202 and operator may adjust the scrubbing strength of the brush.

FIGS. 16 and 17 show an alternative embodiment 250 of a brush in accordance with the principles of the invention. The brush 250 of this embodiment is circular and configured to be used as an attachment for a circular buffing brush 251. Circular buffing brush 251 is similar to buffing brushes commonly used to buff and shine wood, tile and other polished floors. The brush attachment body 252 includes a bristle guide 254 and a plurality of bristles 262 organized into bundles 259 which extend from the body 252 and through the guide 254.

The distance between the bristle guide 254 and the attachment body 252 may be adjusted by extending and retracting the rods 258 with in the door 256. When the guide 254 is extended, the portion of the bristles extending downward 260 is decreased, thereby increasing the strength of which it scrubs or polishes. When the guide 254 is retracted, the portion of the bristles 262 extending downward is increased and the brush scrubs or polishes a surface more gently.

FIG. 17 shows a bottom view of the bristle guide 254. The bristle guide 254 has a solid, rigid, substantially planar body 268. The rod 258 is positioned in the center of the guide and the entire brush 250 to facilitate spinning attachments to the circular brush 251. A plurality of openings 264 are configured to correspond to bristle bundles 259.

FIG. 18 shows a toothbrush 280 in accordance with the principles of the invention. The toothbrush 280 has an outer appearance of a regular, standard toothbrush. A head 284 is positioned at one end of a toothbrush handle 282. The head 284 includes a plurality of stationary bristles 286 organized into bundles and extending from the face 285 of the head 284.

The head 284 has an internal cavity 290 that is slanted and corresponds to end is parallel with bristle bundles 288 affixed to an internal bristle guide 291. In this embodiment, the bristle bundles 288 and the guide 291 slide at an angle such that the bristles are angled in one direction when they are extended out of the head 284. A sliding lever 300 may be moved up or down in the directions of arrow 298 in order to move a cable 292. The cable 292 may be attached to swiveling arms 296 of one or more biased actuators 294. As the cable 292 moves up and down, it causes the actuators 294 to either push the guide 291 outward or to pull it back in. Thus, an operator of the toothbrush 280 may adjust the scrubbing strength of a toothbrush during use and without altering the external shape of the toothbrush 280. Other devices for adjusting toothbrush bristles include external components that could pinch or damage sensitive gum tissue.

FIGS. 19 and 20 show another alternative embodiment of a brush 300. The brush 300 may be used for cleaning dishes and other objects within a kitchen. Some kitchenware is specially coated with Teflon or other material that may be damaged if scrubs to vigorously. As a results, one or more different brushes may be required while cleaning the kitchen. The alternative embodiment of a kitchen brush 300 allows an operator to use the same brush on many different kitchen utensils.

The brush 300 includes a body 302 that may be substantially circular. It may also include a handle 306 that may also be substantially circular. A plurality of bristles 308 organized into bundles may extend around the outer portion of the brush 300. The bristles 308 may be relatively soft and safe on any surface.

The brush may also include a bristle guide 312 housed within a chamber 314 and having a plurality of stiffer or stronger bristles 310. When applied to a Teflon coated surface or other object requiring more delicate brushing, the brush is maintained in the configuration shown in FIG. 19. When more vigorous scrubbing is desired, an operator may squeeze the handle 306. As a result, an internal bladder 304 is compressed. The bladder 304 may have a constant volume but be flexible. When the bladder 304 is squeezed, it impinges downward against the guide 312 causing the guide 312 to traverse the vertical distance with in the chamber 314. As a result, the bristles 310 extend downward such that they are substantially even with the bristles 308. This design also allows an operator of the brush 300 to modulate the scrubbing strength of the brush 300 during use.

FIG. 21 shows an alternative embodiment of a brush having adjustable bristles 330 in accordance with the principles of the invention. The brush 330 has a body 332 having several bundles 334 of bristles 336 embedded in its bottom surface 338. Each bundle 334 is surrounded by a collar 340. The collars 340 may be connected to one another. Optionally, the collars may not be connected. The collars 340 operates in the same manner as the bristle guides of the previous embodiments. If the collars 340 are connected, they may be moved up and down in unison using any of the mechanisms shown above. Optionally, the collars may be moved individually up and down the length of the bundles to adjust the scrubbing strength of each individual bundle. Optionally, the collars 340 may be retractable into the body 332 and may optionally telescope downward.

FIG. 22 shows another alternative embodiment of a brush 350 in accordance with the principles of the invention. The brush 350 has a body 352 located at the distal end of a handle 354. The brush 350 and includes a plurality of soft bristle bundles 356 and a plurality of hard bristle bundles 358. The soft bundles 356 and the hard bundles 358 are both embedded in the bottom surface 360 of the brush 350. The bundles 356 and 358 may be comprised of bristles of the same material or differing materials. The operator of the brush 350 may begin by applying a relatively low amount of force to the handle 354 when cleaning a surface. As a result, only the soft bristle bundles 356 will contact the surface being cleaned. If an operator of the brush 350 desires to apply additional scrubbing force to a surface, he or she may press down harder on the brush 350 such that the hard bristle bundles 358 will also come into contact with the surface. As a result, the surface will be scrubbed more brusquely.

FIG. 23 shows another alternative embodiment of a brush 370 in accordance with the principles of the invention. In this embodiments, a plurality of annular bundles 372 are embedded into the bottom surface 374 of a bristle guide 376. An equal plurality of central bundles 378 are embedded within the bottom surface 380 of the body 382 of the brush 370. The central bundles 378 extend through the bristle guide 376 and protrude out of the bottom surface 374 of the bristle guide 376 within the annular bundles 372. When the bristle guide 376 is fully retracted and lies flush against the bottom surface 380 of the body 382, the central bundles 378 and the annular bundles 372 protrude the same distance downward from the brush 370. Any suitable mechanism may be utilized to adjust the distance between the body 382 and the bristle guide 376.

FIG. 24 shows another alternative embodiment of a brush 390 in accordance with the principles of the invention. The brush 390 includes a body 392 having a cavity 394 sized to accommodate the adjustable bristle guide 396. The bottom surface 398 of the body 392 has a plurality of bristle bundles 400 embedded within it and protruding downward. The internal bristle guide 396 also includes a plurality of bristle bundles 402 embedded within its bottom surface 404. The bristle guide 396 may be moved upward and downward within the body 392 by pressing down on the handle 406. In this embodiment, a spring 408 biases the handle 406 and the bristle guide 396 in an upward direction.

FIGS. 25 and 26 show another alternative embodiment of a brush 410 having adjustable bristles in accordance with the principles of the invention. The brush 410 includes a cylindrical casing 414 and a central rotatable bristle guide 416. A plurality of bristle bundles 418 extend from the bristle guide 416 and out through the casing 414 via holes 420. The handle 422 of the brush 410 includes a lever 424 on a track 426. An operator of the brush may move the lever 424 up or down along the track 426 which in turn rotates the central bristle guide 416 to extend or retract the bristle bundles 418.

Whereas, the present invention has been described in relation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention. Descriptions of the embodiments shown in the drawings should not be construed as limiting or defining the ordinary and plain meanings of the terms of the claims unless such is explicitly indicated.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

1. An adjustable broom comprising: a broom head; an elongate broom handle; a handle attached to the top of the head; an adjustable bristle guide; a plurality of bristles extending distally from the broom head and through one or more channels in the adjustable bristle guide; wherein the distance to which the bristles extend outward from the bristle guide is adjusted by adjusting the distance between the broom head and the bristle guide. 